How to Prevent Earwax Buildup

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If you find that you often have an excessive amount of earwax built up in your ear canals, you may be interested in finding out ways to decrease the wax buildup. Excess wax buildup can lead to temporarily blocked hearing or, more seriously, ear infections . Rather than trying to clear out earwax with cotton swabs, try using ear drops to loosen ear wax. It should fall out on its own. [1] If you often find yourself with blocked ear canals or ear infections, pay a visit to your doctor.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Softening Earwax

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  1. Dripping a little distilled water into your ear canals is a great way to help your body expel extra earwax. Use a plastic water dropper, and deposit 5-6 drops into 1 ear canal. Lean your head to the side so the water stays in the ear canal. Then use a clean tissue to swab the water—and loosened wax—out of your ear. Then repeat the process with your other ear. [2]
    • If you find that regular distilled water doesn’t work very effectively, try using a saline solution. You can purchase saline solution from a drugstore or pharmacy.
  2. Drip 2-3 drops of olive oil into each ear twice a day. If your ears are still blocked after you’ve used water, try olive oil instead. Ideally, put drops in your ear canals once in the morning and once in the evening. Use a plastic liquid dropper to make sure you don’t put in too much oil, and to deposit the drops accurately inside the ear canal. Keep this up for 5-6 days, or until your ears feel less congested. [3]
    • Over the following 2 weeks, you’ll notice small chunks of earwax coming out of your ears when you’re sleeping.
    • If you don’t happen to have olive oil around your home, you can use almond oil instead. Both can be purchased in a cooking or baking aisle of your local grocery store.
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  3. In most cases, our ears are self-regulating and do a good job of expelling extra build-up earwax. [4] It’s only when the inner ear fails to do this that you’ll need to step in and take steps to prevent excess wax from building up. But, in nearly all cases—and especially after the wax has been adequately softened up—your ears are able to regulate themselves and expel wax as needed. [5]
    • You’ll often notice a few lumps of earwax on your pillow when you wake up in the morning, or a smear of earwax on your towel after you’ve taken a hot shower.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Avoiding Earwax Impaction

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  1. [6] People often force small, rounded earbuds deep into their ear canals to listen to music, or sleep with earplugs in for 6-8 hours at a time. Both of these types of objects can prevent your body from expelling earwax and can force wax deeper into your ear canal. So, try to sleep without the earplugs, and take the earbuds out after 20 or 30 minutes of usage. [7]
    • People who use hearing aids also often experience excessive amounts of built-up earwax. Talk to your doctor about ways to reduce earwax buildup if you use hearing aids.
  2. Trying to use a foreign object to scoop earwax out of your ear canal typically only pushes the wax farther in. This includes cotton swabs! [8] Never put paperclips, toothpicks, hair clips or any other metal objects in your ears while trying to extract wax. Only use cotton swabs to clean the outer swirls of your ear and to remove wax from the opening of your ear canal. [9]
    • The risk posed by these objects is severe. In a worst-case scenario, you could seriously harm your ear drum or even dislocate the hearing bones if you insert a foreign object too deep into your ear.
  3. There is very little medical evidence that ear candles have any positive effects. They’re almost entirely ineffective at removing earwax from the ear canal, or loosening earwax so it can be removed by other means. [10] So, leave the ear candles on the shelf and use olive oil or hydrogen peroxide drops instead.
    • Worse, if you insert the ear candle too deep in your ear, it can cause damage to the drum and canal.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Removing Earwax Blockages

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  1. [11] Visit your local drugstore or pharmacy and look for drops designed to remove built-up earwax. Most of the drops work by releasing a foaming or bubbling agent that works its way into your ear canal and loosens up excess wax. Once the chemical drops have been in your ear for as long as directed on the packaging, use a tissue to wipe your ear dry. [12]
    • Follow the directions on the packaging closely, and stop using the drops if you experience pain in your inner ear.
  2. Symptoms like ear pain, a feeling of fullness in your inner ear, or temporary hearing loss can indicate a buildup of wax against your ear drum. See your doctor if you experience these symptoms, rather than trying to dig the earwax out yourself. While you’re speaking with the doctor, ask if they have any tips for at-home ways to safely treat earwax buildup. [13]
    • See the doctor promptly if you notice any drainage trickling out of 1 or both ears.
  3. If your ears are prone to building up excessive amounts of wax, your doctor may advise you to loosen the wax up with over-the-counter eardrops. Drip 5-6 droplets into each ear, and tilt your head to 1 side so that the drops stay in for about 5 minutes on each side. The drops will lubricate your ear canals enough that the wax will fall out on its own. [14]
    • Most commercial ear drops will contain a mild medical cleansing agent, such as carbamide peroxide.
    • You can purchase eardrops at any pharmacy, drugstore, or large grocery store. They’ll most likely be in the same part of the store as the eye drops.
  4. If built-up earwax is causing hearing loss or pain, see if your doctor can remove it while you’re in the office. The 2 most common procedures are ear irrigation (in which the wax is flushed out with water) and microsuction (in which the wax is sucked out with a tiny vacuum). Neither procedure should take more than 15-20 minutes, and both are painless. [15]
    • Not all doctor’s offices will be equipped to perform these procedures. If your doctor doesn’t have the equipment, they can refer you to an ENT doctor to clear out the earwax.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Can ear drops help relieve pain?
    Payam Daneshrad, MD
    Board Certified Otolaryngologist
    Dr. Payam Daneshrad is a board certified Otolaryngologist, specializing in Facial Plastic Surgery and Rhinology, and the Owner and Director of Daneshrad Clinic in Los Angeles, California. With over 19 years of experience, Dr. Daneshrad specializes in adult and pediatric Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, packing-less nasal surgery, minimally invasive sinus surgery, and snoring treatment. He also uses the newest surgical ENT techniques for tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, thyroidectomy, and parathyroidectomy. Dr. Daneshrad graduated with a BS and the highest honors from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Tulane University School of Medicine, where he was accepted into the AOA, the medical honor's society, and the Tulane University School of Public Health. Dr. Daneshrad received his medical training from the University of Southern California. Dr. Daneshrad is the Otolaryngologist and Facial Plastic Surgeon for the Los Angeles Sparks and the athletic teams of Loyola Marymount University.
    Payam Daneshrad, MD
    Board Certified Otolaryngologist
    Expert Answer
    Over-the-counter ear drops should only be used to dissolve wax. If you're experiencing pain, you may have an ear infection and should talk to your doctor about other treatment options.
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      Tips

      • In medical terminology, earwax is called “cerumen.” It lubricates your ears, helps prevent itching, and keeps your ears free from infections. [16]
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      • Earwax is actually created in the outer third of the ear canal, fairly far away from the eardrum. If you often wear earbuds or sleep with earplugs in, though, you may be inadvertently pushing the wax back until it butts up against your eardrum.
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      • Certain ways of cleaning your ears—including shoving a cotton swab too deep in the canal—can actually force earwax deeper into the canal, rather than extracting it.
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      References

      1. ↑ Payam Daneshrad, MD. Board Certified Otolaryngologist. Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.
      2. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/got-an-ear-full
      3. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/
      4. ↑ Payam Daneshrad, MD. Board Certified Otolaryngologist. Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.
      5. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/3-reasons-to-leave-earwax-alone-2017051711718
      6. ↑ Payam Daneshrad, MD. Board Certified Otolaryngologist. Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.
      7. ↑ https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/earwax-build-up
      8. ↑ Payam Daneshrad, MD. Board Certified Otolaryngologist. Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.
      9. ↑ https://www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/earwax-buildup/
      1. ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/medical-procedures/ear-candling.html
      2. ↑ Payam Daneshrad, MD. Board Certified Otolaryngologist. Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.
      3. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/ear-wax-removal-101-the-best-and-safest-ways-to-clear-clogged-ears/
      4. ↑ https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=bz1125
      5. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/
      6. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/
      7. ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000979.htm
      8. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14428-ear-wax-buildup--blockage

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